How to Create a Rose and Spider Portrait Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

In this tutorial I'll show you how to use Adobe Photoshop to create a fantasy rose woman portrait. You'll learn how to build the background with cobwebs, rose branches, and spiders. We'll also retouch the model and decorate her with a rose headpiece, sepal dress, and sparkling cobwebs. We'll use several adjustment layers to complete the final effect.

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:

1. How to Make the Base Background

Step 1

Create a new 2000 x 1933 px document in Photoshop with the given settings:

Step 2

Open the background image and drag this image into the white canvas using the Move Tool (V).

Step 3

Go to Filter > Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 19 px. This step is to separate the main elements from the background, and it helps to increase the depth of the scene.

Step 4

Select the Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves and increase the lightness.

On this layer mask, activate the Brush Tool (B) and choose a soft round one with black color. Use this brush to paint around the edges of the canvas, leaving the bright effect visible on the middle section of the background.

Step 5

Make another Curves adjustment to make the shadow on the edges stronger. On the layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the dark effect on the middle as we've aimed to set a light source there.

Step 6

Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate the background.

Step 7

Add a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the background's color. Raise the Blue value of the Midtones to the maximum.

2. How to Retouch the Model

Step 1

Cut out the model from the background and place her in the middle section of the canvas.

Step 2

Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and set it as Clipping Mask to desaturate the model. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush with Opacity of about 30-35% to recover some warm tone on the model's skin.

Step 3

Add a Curves adjustment layer to reduce the highlight on the model. On the layer mask, paint on shadow/hidden areas so they won't be darkened by this adjustment layer.

Step 4

You can see that the back/contour of the model is dark due to the light source of the original image. Use another Curves adjustment layer to increase the light on the back/hidden/contour areas of the model to fit the existing backlight. Paint on the front/highlight of the areas so they won't be brightened by this adjustment layer.

Step 5

Create a new layer and use a small brush with the color #eeebe8 and Opacity about 50% to paint highlights on the contour of the model to fit the light from the background.

Step 6

Make a new layer on top of the other layers and use a small hard brush with the color #cec8c8 to paint bright strands for the model's head.

3. How to Build the Cobweb Background

Step 1

Place the cobweb 1 image over the whole canvas, and change this layer mode to Screen 100%.

Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a mask to this layer. Add a mask to this layer and erase most of the right-hand side of the canvas.

Step 2

Apply a Gaussian Blur of 2 px to soften the cobweb a bit.

Step 3

Duplicate this layer several times and arrange the copies around the corners. Use the Free Transform Tool (Control-T) to rotate this image and a layer mask to mask off these cobweb parts so they appear different.

Step 4

Import the cobweb 2 image using the same method (adding, masking, duplicating, and applying the Gaussian Blur filter with the same Radius).

Step 5

Select all of the cobweb layers and hit Control-G to make a group for them. Change this group's mode to Screen 100% and add a Levels adjustment layer within this group to remove all of the hard edges.

4. How to Import the Spiders

Step 1

Open the spiders image. Select two of the spiders on the lower half to add to the left of canvas and the neck of the model. Make the spider on the background bigger than the other one.

Step 2

Apply a Gaussian Blur of 6 px to the spider on the background.

Step 3

Create a new layer below the spider layer which is on the model's neck. Use a small soft brush with the color #0c0b0b and Opacity about 20% to paint a shadow for the spider on the neck.

Step 4

Create a group for the spiders and add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer within this group to desaturate them.

Step 5

Make a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the spiders. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to remove the light effect on the left/shadow of the spider which is on the background.

Step 6

On this spider layer, create a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100%, and fill it with 50% gray.

Activate the DodgeTool (O) with Highlights Range and Exposure about 20-25% to increase the light on the spider. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay mode.

5. How to Add the Roses

Step 1

Open the roses 1 image and isolate the roses from the white background. Move it to the top right of the canvas and duplicate it and move it to the bottom left. Use Control-T to rotate it to get a different angle.

Step 2

On each of the rose layers, apply a Gaussian Blur of 8 px to make the roses fit the softness of the background.

Step 3

Create a group for these rose layers and use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to alter the color of the roses and leaves. Adjust the Reds and Yellows values:

Step 4

Make a Curves adjustment layer to darken the roses. On this layer mask, paint on the highlight details of the roses to keep their lightness.

Step 5

On each of the rose layers, create a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100%, and fill it with 50% gray. Use the Dodge and Burn Tool to enhance the light and shadow on the roses.

Step 6

Open the roses 4 image and isolate the roses from the background. Place them in the bottom right of the canvas and apply a Gaussian Blur of 6 px to this layer.

Step 7

Double-click this layer, choose Inner Shadow, and set the color of shadow to #fefafa. This step is to strengthen the light details on the roses.

Step 8

Use a Curves adjustment layer to darken the roses, especially to increase their shadow. The selected areas show where to paint on this layer mask.

Step 9

Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate the roses. Decrease the Saturation value to -54.

Step 10

Cut out the rose 2 image and place it above the model's head. You can see that the top of the rose does not really fit the angle of the model's head. Add a mask to this layer and use a hard black brush to remove the top and the bottom and leave only the middle visible.

Step 11

Duplicate this layer and rotate the rose to fit the angle of the head. Use a layer mask with a hard black brush to erase the bottom and the middle.

Step 12

The rose looks blurred, so on each of the rose layers, go to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.

Press Control-F to repeat this filter effect to sharpen the rose more.

Step 13

Some petals of the rose seem still blurrier than the rest. To fix this, on each of the rose layers, make a new layer, activate the Clone Tool (S), take the sharp area as the source, and clone it over the blurred details as shown.

Step 14

Create a group for these rose layers and add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate the rose.

Step 15

Use a Curves adjustment layer to increase the contrast on the edges of some petals.

Step 16

Add another Curves adjustment layer to strengthen the contrast on the shadow areas of the rose. Paint on the bright details of the rose so they won't be affected by this adjustment layer.

Step 17

Create a new layer above the top rose layer, change the mode to Overlay 100%, and fill it with 50% gray. Use the Dodge and Burn Tool to enhance the light and shadow on this rose.

Step 18

Make a new layer below the rose 2 group. Use a soft brush with the color #0c0b0b and Opacity about 30% to paint a shadow for this rose on the head.

6. How to Make the Sepal Dress

Step 1

Open the rose 3 image and isolate it from the background. Use the Lasso Tool (L) to select the sepals on the left to place onto the model's chest. Use Control-T to rotate them as shown below:

Step 2

Duplicate this layer and resize these sepals to be smaller. Move them onto the shoulder and flip them horizontally ( Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal). Use a layer mask to remove the part covering the shoulder.

Step 3

Select two sepals on the right in the original image to add to the other side of the model's chest. Use a layer mask to shorten the top of it and remove a part on the armpit to reveal the arm near there.

Step 4

Duplicate this layer and move it to the shoulder's area. On the layer mask, use a medium-soft black brush to remove its bottom, leaving only its top visible besides the existing sepals.

Step 5

Make a group for the sepal layers and add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate and change the sepals' color.

Step 6

Create a Curves adjustment layer to darken the sepals. On the layer mask, paint on the front of the sepals to keep their lightness.

Step 7

Make another Curves adjustment layer to bring more light to the front of the sepals. Paint on the rest so they won't be affected by this adjustment layer.

Step 8

On each of the sepal layers on the chest, make a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100%, and fill with 50% gray. Use the Dodge and Burn Tool to refine the light and shadow on these sepals.

Step 9

Create a new layer below the sepals group. Use a soft brush with the color #0c0b0b and Opacity about 10% to paint the soft shadow of the sepals on the chest.

7. How to Create the Cobweb Decoration

Step 1

Drag the cobweb 3 image onto the model's head, below the big rose, and change the mode to Screen 100%. Use Control-T with the Warp mode to tweak the cobweb as shown below.

Use a layer mask to remove some of the hard edges.

Step 2

Duplicate this layer and make it smaller. Use a layer mask to erase the top and the space in the middle of her chest.

Step 3

Create a group for these cobweb layers and alter the mode to Screen 100%. Add a Levels adjustment layer within this group to remove all of the remaining white edges.

8. How to Make the Final Adjustments

Step 1

Create a Gradient Map adjustment layer on top of the other layers and pick the colors #e10019 and #00601b. Lower the Opacity of this layer to 20%.

Make another Gradient Map adjustment layer and change the colors to #d06868 and #136672. Alter this layer mode to Soft Light 90%.